Handling Payments

©Clare Hargreaves-Norris
Calculating and handling payments
NVQ Level 2 Beauty
Therapy

Clare Hargreaves-
Norris
Methods used to handle payments
Depending on the salon procedure you may be
required to calculate the client’s bill and then deal
with the payment. Quite often bills are prepared in
advance so that you can quickly inform the client of
the cost – thus saving time. You can quickly add up a
client’s bill mentally or by using a calculator and
then input the price into the till or computer. The
system that you use will vary from salon to salon.
You will need to have knowledge of the methods of
payment accepted by the salon, to prevent any
confusion when the client is ready to pay.

Norris
Security when handling payments
When taking payments and operating the payment point, it
is important that you follow certain security procedures
such as:
 Never leaving the till drawer open.
 When the till is left unattended you must ensure that it is
locked and that you take the key with you.
 Not cashing up or banking at exactly the same time every
day, as someone may observe this practice and this would
make you vulnerable to theft.
 Using a password in order to access the information on the
computer.
 Using an authorisation number before you can operate the
till, this ensures that only the till operator can access the
till.

Norris
How to handle payments effectivley
 Firstly, work out the total cost of the bill.
 Confirm with the client the treatment/product received and
the price to be charged.
 Establish the method of payment the client wishes to use.
 Process the method of payment following the guidelines
outlined on the next slides.
 Always monitor the level of change as you process each
method of payment so that you are aware when you have low
levels and need to organise change. This will ensure that
the clients are not kept waiting whilst you search for
change.

©Clare Hargreaves-Norris
What are the different methods
that people can use to pay with?

Norris
Methods of payment
Cash
Method
s of
paymen
t
Payment
card
Cheque
Voucher

Norris
Cash payment
This method of payment is accepted in all salons and is the
most frequently used method of payment in beauty salons.
When receiving a payment by cash you should:
 Check to make sure that the money is valid.
 Repeat the amount received back to the customer.
 Place the money on the till/computer ledge whilst
calculating the change.
 Count the change out to the client as you place the change
in their hand.
 Place the money in the till/computer drawer and close it
straight away.
 Give the client their receipt and thank them for their
custom.

Norris
Invalid currency
You may handle different types of invalid currency such as foreign
money, out of date money or forged money. The first two types will
be spotted easily by simply checking all of the money that you handle.
When checking for forged notes you can check visually, feel the
money or use a checking machine or pen. To check the money without
the use of the machine or pen you should:
 Hold the note up to the light and check that there is a water mark.
 Try to tear through the metallic strip - it should not tear.
 Feel the quality of the paper to make sure it feels correct.
 Check to see if there is anything suspicious about the colour and
images printed on the note.
After checking, if you are suspicious of the note the correct
procedure to follow is to withhold the note and contact your
supervisor. However, if you feel threatened by the situation you
should return the note and ask for another method of payment.

Norris
Voucher
Most salons have their own
specially designed gift
voucher. Gift vouchers are
purchased through the
salon as a method of pre-
payment. When selling a
voucher you should follow
the procedure outlined on
the next slide to ensure
that only valid vouchers are
used.
Zen spa
13 Lower Street
Bolton
Lancashire
BL7 8DY
01204 318901 Can not be redeemed forcash
Gift Certificate
This certificate entitles
to
Number
ExpiresAuthorized by
Well living

Norris
Procedure for selling vouchers
 Note down the voucher number in the gift voucher sales
book.
 Make a record of the amount, or the service the voucher
has been issued for.
 Take down customer details, as this will safeguard against
clients claiming they have lost their voucher.
 Place the voucher in an envelope with the salon price list.
 Process the payment for the voucher.
 Issue the client with their receipt and thank them for
their custom.

Norris
Procedure to follow when client pays
with a voucher
 Check the voucher details and number to ensure
validity.
 Cross off the voucher in the voucher sales book
to make a record that the voucher has been
used and is no longer valid.
 Normally you will not enter payment into the
till/computer, or you will use the voucher
function on the till/computer.
 The voucher should then be stamped or crossed
through to prevent it from being re-used.
 Place the voucher in the till/computer drawer.

Norris
Cheque
A cheque will normally
have a spending limit and
must be accompanied by
a cheque guarantee card
which will state the limit
applied. The guarantee
card is a safety measure
designed to protect the
business against the
cheque bouncing.

Norris
Procedure to follow when client pays
by cheque
1. Ensure the cheque details are correct by examining to see if:
The date is correct.
The cheque is made payable to the salon name.
Words & figures written correspond with the numbers in the box.
That the client signs the cheque in front of you and the signature is
the same as the one on the guarantee card.
The bank sort code number is the same on both the cheque and the
guarantee card.
The signature strip on the guarantee card has not been tampered
with. It should feel flat to the touch and generally will have the
bank logo running through it.
The date on the guarantee card is valid – it’s not out of date.
You should write the card number, your initials and the date on the
back of the cheque.
2. Operate the payment point as usual, however most tills/computers
will have a cheque payment button, which should be pressed.
3. Give the client their receipt and thank them for their custom.

Norris
Incorrect cheque completion
Any errors made when the customer completes the
cheque such as incorrect date or amount, should be
corrected and then initialled by the client. If the
client’s signature does not match the guarantee
card, ask the client for a further sample of their
signature. Whilst the client is signing make sure
that you are watching and that they cannot see the
signature on the card as they may be copying. If
you are still not satisfied, you should notify your
supervisor and ask for another method of payment.
If they feel necessary, they may wish to contact the
police, again using discretion.

Norris
Invalid payment by cheque
A cheque payment could be invalid if:
 The cheque guarantee card was out of date.
 The details on the cheque guarantee card do not match the
cheque.
 The client is spending over their limit.
 The strip on the back of the card appears to have been
tampered with.
Depending on the situation, you would generally ask for
another method of payment. If it appears to be a genuine
mistake and you know the client your supervisor may give
you authorisation to accept the cheque anyway. If you are
suspicious at all, call your supervisor over who may decide to
contact your local police station. However, you must ensure
that the client is not suspicious or does not hear you. The
procedure you follow will depend on the establishment rules.

Norris
Payment cards
There are two
different types of
payment cards that
you may come across:
 Debit card
 Credit card

Norris
Debit cards
 A debit card such as Switch, Delta or
Connect authorises the immediate debit of
the amount from the client’s account.
 It can also be used as a cheque guarantee
card.

Norris
Credit card
 A credit card is a card such as Visa, Access, MasterCard or
Barclaycard.
 The customer will receive a monthly statement, which they
can choose to pay the balance in full or a certain amount.
 If they do not pay the balance in full, they will usually pay
interest on the amount outstanding, unless it is a 0%
interest card.
 A credit amount will be issued on this card and this is the
maximum the client can spend. If the spending exceeds this
limit, you must telephone the credit card company to gain
authorisation to accept payment by the card.
 The salon will usually have to pay a handling fee of 1.5-2%
when processing a payment by credit card.

Norris
Checking that the card is valid
When receiving payment by card you should ensure the card
details are correct by:
 Observing the client signing the payment slip in front of you
and checking that the signature matches the one on the
payment card.
 Checking to see that the signature strip on the card has not
been tampered with. It should feel flat to the touch and
generally will have the bank logo running through it.
 Making sure the date on the payment card is valid – it should
not be out of date.
 Looking at the hologram, it should have a clear, sharp image.
 Checking the title on the card i.e. Mrs, Mr should match that
of the client.
 Checking that the card number is not on the credit card
warning list.

Norris
There are two different machines that can
be used to process a card payment:
Electronic payment
system
Imprinter

Norris
Processing payment with electronic
machine
1. Swipe the card through the terminal on the electronic
payment unit.
2. Follow the prompts offered by the machine, you will
usually enter the amount first.
3. The machine will then produce the receipt.
4. Ask the client to check that the amount is correct and
sign.
5. Press yes to confirm that the signatures match (obviously
don’t press yes if you are suspicious in any way).
6. Tear off the slip.
7. Return the card and the top copy back to the client.
8. Place the salons copy into the till/computer drawer.
9. Thank the client for their custom.

Norris
Process payment using an imprinter
1. Write the sales details onto the voucher using a ballpoint pen to ensure
it goes through to all 3 copies. Include the details of the
purchase/treatment, date, and amount.
2. Place the card in the imprinter with the front facing upwards.
3. Place the sales voucher over the card.
4. Slide the handle over and back again to its original position, this
enables the imprinter to press onto the card so that the details will be
copied onto the sales voucher.
5. Remove the voucher and check that the card details are now recorded
on all copies of the voucher.
6. Ask the customer to check the details and sign the voucher.
7. Check client’s signature & give them the top copy back with their card.
8. A copy of the voucher is kept by the salon and the other is sent to the
bank.
9. You will have to enter the details into the till as normal and usually
press the card payment key. Place the sales slip into the till drawer.
10. Give the client a receipt and thank for their custom.

Norris
Invalid payment by card
A payment by credit/debit card could be invalid
if:
 The card is out of date.
 The card is split or broken in any way.
 The client has spent over their limit the card will
not work.
Depending on the situation, you would generally
ask for another method of payment.

Norris
Suspected fraudulent use of a
payment card
The payment card could be forged or stolen if:
 It does not appear with a hologram or if it looks or feels
suspicious in any way.
 The signature strip on the back should be flat and will generally
have the bank logo running through it. If it is raised this would
indicate that a new signature strip has been added.
 The signatures do not match.
 The details on the card do not appear to match the client.
If you are suspicious at all you could contact the card line by the
phone attached to the electronic payment system - you will have
a written procedure to follow. If you do not have these facilities
seek advice from your supervisor who may decide to contact the
local police station. However, you must ensure that the client is
not suspicious or does not hear you. You should also check your
card-warning list to make sure that the card details do not
match any cards on the list.

Handling Payments

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Handling Payments